Men's Basketball

Keegan

Column: Some questions best left unasked at NCAAs

St. Louis  Somewhere approaching a billion questions will be asked of coaches and athletes today in Scottrade Center, site of four NCAA Tournament basketball games Friday, two Sunday.

One I don’t care to hear asked of Andrew Wiggins, famous freshman forward for Kansas University: “How did you deal with all of the hype?”

Um, by playing basketball. That’s what college basketball players do. They play basketball. In his case, for one year in college. Obviously, he dealt with it quite well since he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, led his team in scoring and was its best perimeter defender. Questions about the hype should be asked of those who hyped Wiggins, not of Wiggins.

Another I’d rather not hear asked of John Calipari or any other coach to whom it could apply: “You continue to recruit one-and-done players. Last year your team had to settle for the NIT. This year you are a No. 8 seed. Do you think you would be better off not going that route?”

To stop recruiting players projected as one-and-done or those who think they are would mean bypassing Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, with whom Calipari won a national title in 2012.

And then there are players such as Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur, thought by some to be one-and-done talents before they stepped onto a college court for the first time. They started for KU’s 2008 national-championship team, Rush in his third season, Arthur his second.

And I definitely don’t want to hear anyone ask Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall if he can see himself coaching elsewhere next season. How about asking him questions about the only underdog undefeated No. 1 seed in tournament history, instead of about some school that had such a lousy year it either already has fired its coach or will once it gets eliminated from the NIT. Besides, he makes $1.4 million a year and lives in a town packed with great golf courses.

Comments

i'd like someone to ask Marshall why he's such an arrogant pr*ck.
You're undefeated. You're a #1 seed the first time in the program's history (I think). You just swept your conference regular season. You just won your conference tournament for the first time in the program's history (hard to believe). IF you want to leave to a bigger program, you'll have your pick of the litter (Indiana will come calling, I believe). If you want to stay in Wichita, they'll probably name the court after you. And you are a millionaire! You have a lot to be happy about. Put a freaking smile on your face!

I would like to know why Marshall isn't willing to play on the road against the elite teams without expecting a return game. That's what Mark Few has had to to keep Gonzaga where its at so what makes WSU so special they don't have to pay the same dues Gonzaga did/does?